dknight211

I have been riding a super cheap department store road bicycle which started falling apart at 1,200 miles. Beginning at about 800 miles, lots of problems started cropping up, but I could fix them, so I kept riding it. However, today, on an uphill climb, the inner race of the rear hub cracked and subsequently destroyed the rear hub and axle. Replacing the rear wheel on a bike of this quality and cost is not worth it, so I am looking for a new entry level road bike under $1000.

I ride about 100 miles a week, and am a bit aggressive in cycling. I do all-out starts, take corners fast, and have the rare, but sometimes happens, crash. The roads I cycle on are also sometimes rough. It's not dirt roads, but rough paved roads with bumps and potholes. I am also perfectly fine with a harsh or stiff ride. I was doing about 20 - 30 mph on the cheapo road bike with bad gearing and poor components, so I'm sure I could go faster on a proper road bike.

In a new bike, my top concern(s) are - durability and reliability.

I have mainly been looking at the Specialized Allez or Trek 1.1 or Trek 1.2.
I know that the Specialized Allez and Trek 1.2 both have carbon forks while the Trek 1.1 has an aluminum alloy fork.

Given my riding style and type of road surfaces (and me not caring about ride comfort), is a carbon fork going to be a problem? I'm afraid that a crash is going to weaken or invisibly damage a carbon fork while an aluminum fork may hold up better after a crash?

The Trek 1.1 is $729 but the Trek 1.2 is on sale right now at $759, so they are practically the same price. I also know that the Trek 1.1 has Shimano 2300 components while the Shimano Sora components but have no idea as to the reliability or durability of either.
Which one will hold up better against my riding style?
Is an aluminum fork more resistant to crash and shock damage? what about harsh roads - will that weaken a carbon fork over time?

Thanks!!

hhnngg1

Entry level bikes are so good today, you don't need to worry about parts breaking prematurely, or being at all limited by the bike. You can become a road racing national champion completely on a bike like the Trek 1.1 if you've got the talent. Both bikes are rock-solid and will not break unless you crash them. (This isn't true for wallyworld or dept store bikes.)

Pick the one that 1) fits you the best, and 2) looks the best. Seriously - looks probably make more of a difference than anything else, as the difference between the 2300 and Sora components is trivial, and if you want to get a better groupset, you're talking hundreds of more dollars.

And ironically, a better groupset, while it'll shift faster, won't gain you any net speed, even in racing, save for possibly intense criterium racing. That Shimano 2300, if well adjusted, will let you kill everyone out there if you're good enough. Doesn't matter if they're riding a $15k Cervelo - your bike will offer 98%+ of the speed of their bike and will not prematurely fail in any way.

pgjackson

Check the Fuji Newest 3.0 at Performance Bike. I think it's better looking than the Trek and you get discount points at the store. I got two of them last year for $399 each. Wait for their sales. They list them at something stupid like $700, but they are always on "sale". It's a good solid bike that will last a while.